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Nature & Environment

'Lost world' forest found inside giant sinkhole in China

By T.K. Randall
May 14, 2022 · Comment icon 11 comments

What lies within China's sinkholes ? Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.5 Pfctdayelise
The sinkholes in China's Hubei province are so large that it's possible to find whole ecosystems inside them.
It sounds like something out of a Jurassic Park movie, but scientists from China have discovered what appears to be a miniature lost world hidden inside a remote sinkhole.

The hole, which descends 630ft into the ground, was found to be home to a small forest complete with ancient trees and plants that have been eking out an existence for countless centuries while relying only on the sunlight that filters through the top of the sinkhole hundreds of feet above.

According to cave expert George Veni, such sinkholes exist in the region because China's karst topography is particularly conducive to their formation.
"Because of local differences in geology, climate and other factors, the way karst appears at the surface can be dramatically different," he told Live Science.

"So in China you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth. In other parts of the world you walk out on the karst and you really don't notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter."

The newly explored sinkhole, which is situated in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, could offer up a treasure trove of data for researchers by providing a unique opportunity to study trees and plants that have evolved in a relatively closed-off environment over a long period of time.

There probably won't be any dinosaurs down there, though.

Source: Live Science | Comments (11)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #2 Posted by MysteryMike 3 years ago
Will any living dinosaurs be found. ;P
Comment icon #3 Posted by jethrofloyd 3 years ago
''Ostriches are whacky-looking creatures at the best of times, but did you know that they’re very closely related to a species of dinosaur dating back to the late Cretaceous period?''
Comment icon #4 Posted by Hyperionxvii 3 years ago
Can't wait to see some photos.
Comment icon #5 Posted by Manwon Lender 3 years ago
Here you go, enjoy!  
Comment icon #6 Posted by Gumball 3 years ago
There ye go.
Comment icon #7 Posted by Manwon Lender 3 years ago
Did you know they have large sharp claw on each foot that they could disembowel you with? I think the Dinosaur you thinking about is a Velociraptor!
Comment icon #8 Posted by Jon the frog 3 years ago
Don't need to be that big when you are a dinosaur descendant ! You are just a natural born killer : https://www.livescience.com/rooster-attack-kills-woman-hemorrhage.html
Comment icon #9 Posted by Manwon Lender 3 years ago
That dam Rooster is a pecker head, and yea I am a Natural Born killer , I have never mentioned this on the forum. However, when my mother became pregnant, according to the doctors I was suppose to have a identical twin, based upon an early ultrasound that was done. However, for some unknown reason my  twin didn’t survive and my mother was told I absorbed it. Well the last ultrasound taken before my twin disappeared showed the twin umbilical cord was wrapped around my twins neck, and a day or so after another ultrasound was taken and the twin was gone and I had increased in size and the had ... [More]
Comment icon #10 Posted by Hyperionxvii 3 years ago
Awesome, really cool. 
Comment icon #11 Posted by Manwon Lender 3 years ago
Your very welcome, thanks for supporting this thread!


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